Effects of Kinect Video Game Training on Lower Extremity Motor Function, Balance, and Gait in Adolescents with Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

ABSTRACT

The Kinect video game (KVG) has received attention as an intervention method for cerebral palsy (CP). However, evidence remains limited.

Purpose

To investigate the effects of training using Xbox Kinect on lower extremity motor function, balance, and gait in adolescents with spastic diplegia CP.

Methods

This study was a pilot randomized controlled trial. Ten participants were randomly allocated to either the KVG training group (n = 5) or the conventional training (CT) group (n = 5). The Selective Control Assessment of the Lower Extremity (SCALE) tool, Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS), and GAITRite were used for the outcome measurements.

Results

In the comparison between the groups, the KVG group showed significant improvements in all the items in the SCALE (except for right hip abduction) and PBS score as compared with the CT group.

Conclusions

KVG training might be an effective intervention for the rehabilitation of adolescents with spastic diplegia CP.

KEYWORDS:

• Cerebral palsy
• kinect video game
• lower extremity motor function
• balance
• gait

Ethics Approval And Consent To Participate

After the study received approval from the institutional review board of Kyungnam University, all subjects and their legal representatives listened to an explanation of the study purpose and procedures before voluntarily signing a children’s agreement and a legal representative’s agreement.

Competing Interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.